Anyone ever done a mutual exchange?

[summer rain]

Hi

we are currently going through the motions of doing a mutual exchange (permanent home swap; not just for a holiday or vacation). Both parties are with the same housing association group; but different housing associations within that group. Also as far as both parties know; our properties are in perfect condition (ours has been recently inspected due to a yearly tenancy review anyway) and the rent is all up to date. Both parties handed in their form almost two weeks ago; but they only just put ours onto the system last Friday (seems they forgot about it, grr until I phoned and mentioned it) and the other lady is phoning her branch of the housing association as she hasn't received any confirmation in writing they have got hers. I am currently 33 weeks pregnant and all they keep telling us is they [the housing assocs] have the 'legal right' to take up to 42 days to make their final decision. Googling doesn't come up with much and I only know one lady who did a mutual exchange and I can't get hold of her to ask how long it actually took in real life. So if anyone has done an exchange; to a similar area preferably as I could understand moves to completely different areas of the country taking considerably longer, please let me know how long it took in reality and what to expect with regard to when they visit to check for any repairs needed etc. Thank you for all your help!

Soph x

 

[strawberry19]

my mum did a 3 way swap and we all had different housing assosiations i think all in all it took about a month from handing in papaers to us moving but thats because our housing officer was nly in once a week :/

 

[lesleyann]

when my gran swapped her 3bed for another 3bed it took about a month i think

 

[amie-leigh]

my mum swapped her 2 bedroom for a 3bed room same council and it took about 6 weeks x

 

[feisty_filly]

we swaped at the begining of the year, it took the council about 3 weeks to come to a desision and then the date was still a month away! we just took things into our own hands and swaped befor the date.

 

[summer rain]

Hi

thanks all; these lot say when they make their decision thats pretty much it; up to you when you actually move. The other lady phoned today and said a letter came later on saying they will do her property inspection tomorrow; I am going to phone our housing assoc and tell them to work at the same pace...

 

[lesleyann]

i dont think ringing them up telling them to hurry up will make them move any faster hun if anything it could make them drag their feet, i no if someone rang me telling me how to do my job i would not be impressed

 

[Laura2919]

My friend done a mutual swap and it took 7 weeks from start to finish.. My HA is awful I dont think I would even consider it just for the problems I have had with them as it is..
I hope its all completed soon for you.

 

[summer rain]

Lesley Ann you're right; this is a housing association that when asked by residents to provide visitor parking or sign up to some type of permit scheme; instead employed a cowboy clamping firm to clamp anyone parking remotely in the vicinity (since our development is on a private road; they can do this unfortunately). Also we have always needed a space in the underground car park and paid for it when we moved it and they have cocked it up (been trying to discuss it since April and they are never available nor do they return any calls/emails) and only just agreed to give us one now when we're about to move. In the meantime we've been parking up to half a mile away and it has put paid to us ever getting any shopping by car or anything like that.

I did call them politely and say that the other party were having a property inspection and could they let us know when ours would be? They said that an unnamed manager is in charge of the mutual exchange and they will be the ones to know, and so I asked for their contact details. They do say they have a responsibility to keep us up to date with where the process is at so I will contact them under that premise as we aren't being kept up to date. I used to work in customer services myself so I try to engage with these people without treading on any toes.

Laura; we are just as unhappy with our HA, on internal repairs they are excellent but everything else; they are really incompetent to say the least. Thats why we are keen to move. We have told the other party about all of this and they like the flat so much that the pros outweigh the cons; but we just can't deal with it all. We moved to this development as a new build and the homebuilding company that built it have had to deal with virtually everything because the HA have washed their hands of most things. We got this flat through our local authority bidding system and we were really pressured to take it and sign up for it on the day because the HA said they had 'targets' to meet; they not only lied about the parking issue (there turned out to be various vague and spurious criteria for being allowed a space; which most residents couldn't meet that no-one was told at the time) but other issues as well. Grrr.